Richard Stevens III

Richard "Dick" Stevens III passed away on his 93rd birthday, surrounded by his loving family-always his top priority. He loved life and lived it abundantly, remaining active until the very end. Dick was born in Winchester, Massachusetts, on July 3, 1932, the son of Lila Edsell Stevens and Richard Stevens II. He grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and graduated from Boardman High School, where he was co-captain of the football team and earned All-Ohio recognition. He was heavily recruited and chose to attend Princeton University, where he was a member of the undefeated 1951 football team, which featured a Heisman Trophy winner and the 1951 Football Coach of the Year. This led to a 30-year officiating career, including serving as a Division I headlinesman in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference's officiating arm, EAIFO. While at Princeton, he joined the University Cottage Club. He graduated in 1954 and was later elected class president from 2004 to 2009. His eight Princeton roommates remained his closest lifelong friends. After college, Dick served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, where he was stationed in Germany. It was there that he met the love of his life and best friend, Nalda Van Brunt. Everyone knew that the best thing that ever happened to Dick was Nalda. They had an incredible sixty-six years together. After leaving the Army, he attended the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth and earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1958, he joined IBM in Reading, PA, as a large systems Marketing Representative. He went on to become the Systems Engineering Manager in Philadelphia, Branch Manager in Reading, Branch Manager in Bethlehem, and Government Relations Manager in Washington, D.C. He took early retirement from IBM in 1987 and then joined a Lehigh Valley–based software company, Computer Aid, Inc., as a Division Manager responsible for the Philadelphia area, until his retirement in 2000. Dick served on numerous boards throughout his life. He was a director of Southern Steel Company in San Antonio until the company was sold. In 1981, he joined the board of Educators Mutual Insurance Company in Lancaster, PA, which later merged into Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc. and became a public company in 2006. He also joined the board of Nazareth National Bank (First Colonial Group on NASDAQ) in 1989 and was elected chairman in 1998. He played a key role in its merger with Keystone Savings to create KNBT, a larger regional banking entity. He continued to serve on the board until its acquisition by National Penn Bank. Dick was an avid golfer and a member of Merion Golf Club, Chevy Chase Club, and Saucon Valley Country Club, where he was affectionately known as "Dog 29." He also enjoyed golf trips to Scotland, Ireland, and England. He was a member of the Weyhill Skeet Club, where he wasted no time calling for birds-even in his nineties-and was a multi-high handicap winner with dozens of coveted glasses. Family ski trips to Vail were a highlight, and fly fishing was another beloved passion at Blooming Grove Hunting and Fishing Club. He fished in New Zealand, Bhutan, the Patagonia region of Argentina, and the Ponoi River in Russia because he said the best fish lived in the most beautiful parts of the world. A passionate traveler, he visited all the major continents and was even hosted by the Pentagon on a trip to the Middle East, which included stops in Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait City. Dick will be forever remembered for his optimism, boundless curiosity, and deep devotion to his friends and family. He had an extraordinary memory for names, faces, places, and events-sharp until the very end of his life. A founding member of Grace Church Bethlehem, he lived his life with love, joy, wisdom, meaning, and excitement. Dick was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and uncle. His beloved wife, Nalda, predeceased him this past Memorial Day. He is survived by their daughters Leslie Stevens, Page (John) Knox, and Tip (John) Walker; and by his grandchildren Dixon, Will, Jamie (Natasha) Knox, Jack, Van, Hank, and Charlie Walker. He was predeceased by his sister, Lila (Jim) Faulks, and is survived by their children Lynne (Mike) Tsangeos, Debbie (John) Andrews, and Craig (Pam) Faulks. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Grace Church Bethlehem, 4301 Hecktown Road, Bethlehem, PA 18020, or Princeton Football Associations c/o Princeton University Dept of Athletics, Jadwin Gym/Faculty Rd, Princeton, NJ 08544. Please note in memory of Richard Stevens '54.